Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Apple Draws Ire Pushing Safari to Windows

By
Apple Draws Ire Pushing Safari to Windows

Apple has been shipping its own Web browser Safari with Mac OS X for several years now, and announced a version Safari for Windows a year ago. Safari represents a healthy share of the Macintosh browser market, but in terms of the overall Internet Safari is still in the single digits in terms of browser share. So no one was truly surprised that Apple would attempt to leverage the near ubiquity of its QuickTime and iTunes software as a way to introduce Windows users to other Apple applications: what surprises people is that Apple is using the updating capability to push new applications to those users by default.

Windows users who have QuickTime and/or iTunes installed are no doubt familiar with Apple’s Software Update utility, which periodically informs users when updates and patched versions of the software are available. Online update utilities are important components for operating systems and network-accessible software, giving vendors a simple way for users to update security patches and bug fixes. However, with the recently released Safari 3.1, the browser has turned up as an new component in Apple’s Software Update utility, and it is set to download by default. The result is that if users go along with Apple’s recommended software update, they get an entirely new application—unrelated to Apple software they already have installed—as part of the update.

Recommended Videos

The Safari 3.1 install is also enabled by default on Mac OS X systems; however, Safari ships as a default application with Mac OS X. Similarly, Windows users who already have Safari installed will see version 3.1 show up as an automatically-enabled update.

Related

“What Apple is doing now with their Apple Software Update on Windows is wrong,” wrote Mozilla head John Lilly in his blog. “It’s wrong because it undermines the trust that we’re all trying to build with users. Because it means that an update isn’t just an update, but is maybe something more. Because it ultimately undermines the safety of users on the Web by eroding that relationship.”

Many industry watchers have opined that it makes sense for Apple to promote Safari 3.1 to Windows Users via Software Update, but criticize the company for making the download enabled by default, arguing a better option would have been to have the download disabled by default, or somehow distinguished as a new application rather than an update to existing software. (Some have noted Software Update may lack this sort of functionality.)

Others argue Apple’s move is about browser share and money, and Mozilla’s grousing about the move has more to do with revenue earned via Google’s prominent placement as the default search engine for Mozilla than Apple’s distribution tactics. Firefox earns the vast majority of its revenue from Google searches conducted via Firefox’s search box: Safari also has Google set as its default search engine, and a growing number of Windows users converting to Safari could mean declining revenues for Firefox, if those users come at Firefox’s expense rather than Internet Explorer’s. After all, Mozilla doesn’t have cash cows like well-established iPod and Macintosh businesses to rely on if its search revenue starts to dry up.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Does your Mac need antivirus software in 2024? We asked the experts
A hacker typing on an Apple MacBook laptop while holding a phone. Both devices show code on their screens.

It’s an age-old question among Apple fans: Does your Mac need antivirus software? Traditionally, the popular answer has been no -- Macs have strong built-in protections, the argument goes, and antivirus apps can potentially slow down your computer. In the end, the trade-off didn’t seem to be worth it.

But is that still true today? After all, Macs are increasingly becoming a target of cybercriminals, with some Mac malware strains supposedly even being created by nation states. In that kind of situation, has the game changed?

Read more
These 6 tweaks take MacBooks from great to nearly perfect
The MacBook Air on a white table.

I love getting a new MacBook. The slow-opening box, the fresh install of macOS, even the enchanting new Mac smell (which people have been rhapsodizing about for decades) -- it’s all part of the experience.

But you know what? MacBooks don't arrive perfect out of the box. There are a few things that I always have to adjust, regardless of how powerful the laptop is. From changing the default apps to unlocking a few hidden extras, here are the first six things to do with your new MacBook before putting it to work.
Unlock some trackpad tricks

Read more
Don’t download the latest macOS Ventura update just yet
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

We have a warning if your MacBook or other Mac machine is still running macOS Ventura. The latest macOS Ventura 13.6.6 update is bringing a lot of big bugs, and it is affecting the way that people are using their favorite Apple products, so you might want to hold off on downloading the update.

Originally released back on March 25, this problematic update came at the same time as macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, which patched issues with Java, USB hubs, and more. Unfortunately, though, macOS Ventura 13.6.6 is introducing some new issues of its own. Spotted by the folks at GottaBeMobile, Mac users have taken to Apple's support forums to complain of everyday issues linked to this release that are breaking their Macs.

Read more